This invention relates to bucket construction, and more particularly, to box section reinforcement means in cooperation with such a bucket.
In general, a loader bucket construction commonly has the bucket shell (i.e., a bottom wall portion, a rear wall portion, and end walls), serving as both a load retaining receptacle and a structural support member. Although this construction has proven satisfactory for relativey small loaders, numerous structural failures have occured with this type bucket on the larger, higher horsepower loaders. In such cases, the width of the loader bucket has been increased to match the width of the loader, and when all the loading force is concentrated at the mid-portion of the cutting edge, deflections therein of 2 to 3 inches have been measured. Deflections of this magnitude overstress the weld joints at the points where the cutting edge is welded to the end walls or corner castings, often resulting in failure at these points. This problem is aggravated by the addition of bucket teeth which increase the chances of concentrating the load in one area.
While buckets which incorporate reinforcement structrues are known, (see, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,786,591 to Neumeister, U.S. Pat. No. 2,929,521 to Beyerstedt, U.S. Pat. No. 2,959,306 to Kampert, U.S. Pat. No. 3,093,917 to Schroeder, U.S. Pat. No. 3,148,792 to Granryd et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,182,832 to Bodin, U.S. Pat. No. 3,349,934 to Moyer et al (assigned to the assignee of this application), and U.S. Pat. No. 3,398,472, to Leijon), none of these devices provides the extremely rigid construction of a reinforcement means transverse of the cutting edge and associated with that cutting edge. With such a construction, rigidity and strength of the bucket may be increased (in relation to these known prior art devices), meanwhile maintaining an extreme simplicity and economy of design.